Jesus Wept!

This shortest verse in the Gospels contains the heartfelt connection that Jesus feels for us. Especially at a time of the pandemic God's heart is not distant from our own. He does not abandon us to our fate as a disinterested observe who stays at arm's length from our pain and isolation. We know the real consequences of the coronavirus not only on the health of the individuals who have been infected but all of us who are caught up in the consequences for our who society. While it has still touched relatively few directly its impact has touched all of us. Those who have lost their jobs, who find themselves far from home and those who feel isolated in their own homes can be an uncertain and frightening time. It is possible that we can become consumed by our own fears and feel hemmed in by uncertainty and confusion. This is certainly what we see in the Gospel for this weekend, even Jesus' closest friends were bewildered by the seeming absence of him at the time when they needed him most. Yet when he does arrive he shows a profound connection not only with those who are suffering but also with the hidden story that they tell themselves.

I believe that the story unfolds in two ways which address both our hearts and our minds. In addressing Martha and Mary they make the same comment, "If you had been here our brother would not have died." They receive two very different responses. Martha is engaged with at the level of faith and belief which draws us our attention to our eternal worth. Mary is engaged with at the level of hope and charity which seeks out the person in the midst of their suffering. It is through our prayerful engagement with the reality expressed by both of these women that we discover freedom which is focused on life more than death. It calls us to discover peace within us which not only values each human life but which also values our own. In these difficult times, it is often possible to focus on material external things rather than discovering a treasure which lies within us. We are called to be people who are able to each day come to silence so that we can be open to God and to each other. By looking for that silent still place we notice how we transform not only our own hearts but also the hearts around us.

Over the next few weeks and maybe months we can often become caught up what the news agencies and the government provides us with the welfare of our community and ourselves. In isolation, we need to be well informed so that we are able to care for ourselves and each other. Yet in that isolation, we also need to find creative ways in which we can be connected. This is important so that we do not become trapped by our feelings of being overwhelmed. There is a call to notice how even in the most difficult circumstances we can become a people of faith, hope and love in the way we are present to God and to each other. 

Beware of Schadenfreude

In the midst of any crisis, it is possible to become blinded to what is in front of us. This is certainly the story which we are focussed of in this Sunday's Gospel. The man born blind is cured by Jesus and is able to see. What we discover that in recovering his sight it reveals the blindness or the prejudice of others. The first question revolves around whether the blindness is hereditary and based on a sin committed by the person themselves or by his parents. Jesus recognises that this focusses on the wrong question. Physical suffering is not propagated by God as a punishment for sin. Rather it is in the person's physical sickness that God may be seen to be at work.

The second question centres on whether we can experience healings within the community which restore people to full health. Here the emphasis is that a change in a person's health can have an impact much more broadly than on the person it changes the heart of the community to see the person differently. They can no longer be defined by their sickness they need to be seen as a person in their own right with inherent dignity.

The third question is that if God is at work in the life of this person how does that change our understanding and experience of God's presence. What happens when we face the unexpected we reference what we experience based on what we have already learnt. Yet in the face of new realities, we need to be open to growing in our understanding and our openness of where God touches our lives. We are called not to rely on existing paradigms which seek to confine God's merciful love for all people.

Yet in our own time, it is possible to see elements of blindness or myopia which see each crisis in the terms of how it affects our own lives. We need to be cautious that we do not see this either as God's judgment on the world, a way of isolating people due to their sickness or more seriously questioning how they can grow in a relationship with God. This is a time when people can quickly reference the situation based on their own understanding of the Church or Society or both. Yet we are called to be open to God's presence in all things and seek what ways we can see this become manifest in our everyday lives. We need to discover creative ways in which in our physical isolation we do become isolated from God or from each other.

Where do we find the oasis in our life?

There is often a desert of good news stories in our lives. The impact of the bushfires and the recent outbreak of the coronavirus have served to identify the places where we are most vulnerable. They cause to focus on situations which seem beyond our control and which can overwhelm us. This is not just in addressing the physical and psychological impacts on our lives but also where we find the wellsprings within us. There can be a sense in which these events can cause us to retreat into ourselves and isolate ourselves from the world. We start to view each other with suspicion rather than friendship. We are called to take precautions for our own health and the health of others but we need to examine how our behaviour can shift us to become more self-centred rather than other centred.

During Lent, there is the common discipline of fasting, almsgiving and prayer. The question is whether we are ready for the situation when this may be forced upon us due to compulsory quarantine restrictions as in Italy or whether we become used to these quiet pauses in our day where we can reflect on where God may be at work. This is a time where we are called to see what is the true wellspring of hope, faith and love.

The power of intercession at this time for the communities directly affected by the virus is important but it is equally important that we notice how our own response may be life-giving. There is a need for us to develop a common purpose to develop ways which identify and support what is needed within communities. What are the creative ways in which we can help people to identify the wellspring of life which dwells with them? How do we listen to their stories and help them to become part of the grand story of eternal life?

Will my name be a blessing

When people speak our name does it bring a blessing to others? There is importance to being recognised by name. There is a sense in which the use of the name is not just the sound but also the tone with which it is used. What we notice is that our response to the other is often guided by how we are drawn into a relationship with the other. The name is something deeply personal which shapes our own identity and helps us to notice our own self-worth. When our name is associated with something positive we feel good about ourselves. In the same way when it is used in a negative way we can feel the world collapsing in on ourselves. What is important is that we need to hear our name called out as a blessing by God. That what we have been created for is for something good and that we have been loved into being.

When we encounter this for ourselves we start to use the name of others not just as a way of identifying them but as a discovery of how they too have been blessed into being. This willingness to use another's name is not just about recognition but it is a desire for a relationship to be formed between two people. This is the smallest of communities which are echoed in Jesus' call that where two or three are gathered in His name He is present in their midst. This daily encounter with others causes us to reflect on a world which would often prefer we were nameless rather than discovering our true self. 

The use of the name is, therefore, central to our daily life. It says that this other person has intrinsic value and worth. Often this can be a difficult discipline to remember each person's name and some of us need prompts to call them to mind even it is writing down where we met them and with whom. Yet when we bring that person before God in prayer we seek a bond which is deeper than words. It becomes a place where each person's name is called to become a blessing.